England Women launched their summer with a comprehensive 37-run win over ICC World Twenty20 runners-up New Zealand Women in the first of three T20 matches at Chelmsford.

Defending a good score of 150 for five, England performed solidly in the field to dismiss the White Ferns for 113 with seven balls unbowled.

Having won the toss, England made a poor start when Sarah Taylor was caught by Kate Broadmore off the bowling of Nicola Browne but the experienced pair Charlotte Edwards (46 in 50 balls) and Claire Taylor (34 in 32 balls) took England to 74 with a 68-run partnership that set the platform for the rest of the batters to come in and hit out.

Laura Marsh (18 in ten balls), Lydia Greenway (23 not out in 17) and Danielle Wyatt (10 not out in six) did so to good effect to push England up to 150.

New Zealand also made a poor start to their innings as Suzie Bates chipped Marsh to Greenway at midwicket for a duck - the first of four catches that Greenway would take in the course of the second half of the game.

Captain Aimee Watkins (24) and Sara McGlashan (25) then put on 47 for the second wicket but that was by far the best partnership of the innings as they struggled at first to keep up with the required run-rate and then to keep wickets in hand in the face of some excellent spin bowling from England.

Wyatt, the fourth spinner used by England, had Liz Perry (21) and Nicola Browne (15) caught in almost identical fashion by Greenway at deep midwicket, Anya Shrubsole picked up the wickets of Rachel Priest (0) and Lucy Doolan (4) and Greenway ran out Broadmore before Wyatt completed figures of three for 12 by having Maria Fahey stumped for six.

Hazell returned two for 19 and Shrubsole two for 16.

The next two matches, in Southampton and Hove, take place on 1st and 2nd July.